{"id":386,"date":"2017-10-23T22:40:12","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T22:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=386"},"modified":"2017-10-27T15:16:41","modified_gmt":"2017-10-27T15:16:41","slug":"polish-reflexive-pronouns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/polish-reflexive-pronouns\/","title":{"rendered":"The Beginner\u2019s Guide to Polish Reflexive Pronouns and Verbs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The way reflexive pronouns work in Polish might not seem too intuitive to an English speaker. After all, English reflexive pronouns \u2013 words like <\/span>oneself<\/i><\/strong>, <\/span>himself<\/strong>, yourselves<\/strong><\/span><\/i> etc. \u2013 are only used in very specific contexts.<\/span><\/p>\n

On a basic level, reflexive pronouns are used to signal that the object of a clause is the same as the subject<\/strong>. If that doesn\u2019t sound too clear, here are a few examples from English:<\/span><\/p>\n

I bought this for <\/span><\/i>myself<\/i><\/strong>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Mary enjoyed <\/span><\/i>herself<\/i><\/strong> at the party.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

They couldn’t defend <\/span><\/i>themselves<\/i><\/strong>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

While English uses reflexive pronouns rather sparingly, Polish sentences are just full of them. Polish reflexives are indispensable when talking about actions directed at oneself \u2013 just like in English \u2013 but also in many other contexts which wouldn\u2019t require a reflexive pronoun in English. <\/span><\/p>\n

Polish is also (kind of) famous for its <\/span>reflexive verbs <\/b>\u2013 verbs which are merged with a reflexive pronoun. If you take away the pronoun, you can expect them to mean something completely different, or even nothing at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most common Polish reflexive pronoun is <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b>. Before we discuss anything else, take a look at the sentences below:<\/span><\/p>\n

Nancy boi <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> ps\u00f3w.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cNancy is afraid of dogs.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Uczymy <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> esperanto.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cWe\u2019re learning Esperanto.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Jedno z nas <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> myli. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cOne of us is wrong.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Jak <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> czujesz?<\/span><\/i> (\u201cHow do you feel?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Ciesz\u0119 <\/span>si\u0119<\/strong>, \u017ce <\/span>si\u0119<\/strong><\/em> zgadzamy.<\/em> (\u201cI am glad that we agree.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Six occurrences of <\/span>si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>in five short Polish sentences, and not a single reflexive pronoun in the English translations. This is why you need this guide.<\/span><\/p>\n

(If you\u2019d like to learn about <\/span>reflexive possessive pronouns<\/b> \u2013 <\/span>sw\u00f3j<\/b>, <\/span>swoja<\/b>, etc. \u2013 see the relevant section in the article on Polish possessive pronouns.<\/a><\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Polish reflexive pronoun \u201csi\u0119\u201d and actions done to oneself (<\/b>literal reflexivity)<\/b><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start with the most obvious part: uses of <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> which coincide with various forms of <\/span>oneself<\/i><\/strong> in English, or are quite easy to explain.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Zranisz <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong>. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cYou will hurt <\/span>yourself<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Pozw\u00f3l, \u017ce <\/span>si\u0119<\/strong> przedstawi\u0119.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cLet me introduce <\/span>myself<\/strong>.<\/strong>\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Tom powinien <\/span>si\u0119<\/strong><\/em> umy\u0107.<\/em> <\/span>(\u201cTom should wash.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Examples no. 1 and 2 are rather self-explanatory.\u00a0The reflexive pronoun\u00a0si\u0119\u00a0<\/em>signals that the \u201cdoer\u201d does the action to themselves<\/strong>, which is the very essence of reflexivity.<\/p>\n

    Here, you cannot use regular personal pronouns to say \u201czranisz\u00a0ciebie<\/span>\u201d or \u201cmnie<\/span> przedstawi\u0119\u201d,<\/span>\u00a0just as you wouldn\u2019t say \u201cyou will hurt you<\/span>\u201d or \u201cintroduce me<\/span>\u201d in their English counterparts. While reflexive pronouns are in many respects very similar to regular <\/span>personal pronouns<\/span><\/a>, there are very few contexts where the two can be used interchangeably.<\/span><\/p>\n

    You probably wouldn\u2019t translate <\/span>umy\u0107 si\u0119<\/span><\/i> in sentence no 3. as \u201cwash himself\u201d, but it is quite easy to see why the reflexive pronoun is there. Tom is the doer of the action and at the same time its object. While it is not necessary to add\u00a0<\/span>himself<\/i><\/strong>\u00a0in English, <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> is an absolute must in Polish.<\/span><\/p>\n

    One more thing: you\u2019ve probably noticed the inverted word order in sentences no. 2 and 3: <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> comes before the verb instead of following it. There\u2019s a good reason for that: <\/span>si\u0119<\/i> is always unstressed, so it cannot occur in stressed positions in the sentence<\/strong>. Because of this,\u00a0it can never be the last word of a longer sentence or the first word of any sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n

    To avoid being the stressed word, <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> can either move to stand before the verb \u2013 just like in the examples above \u2013 or change into its stressed form: <\/span>siebie<\/i><\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Below are three sentences which are quite similar to the ones we\u2019ve seen before, just with <\/span>siebie<\/i><\/b> in the stressed position:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Ranisz <\/span><\/i>siebie<\/i><\/strong>, nie mnie.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cYou\u2019re only hurting <\/span>yourself<\/strong>, and not me.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Najpierw przedstawi\u0142a\u00a0<\/span>siebie<\/strong>, a potem swojego m\u0119\u017ca.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cFirst she introduced <\/span>herself<\/strong>, then she introduced her husband.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Umy\u0142a swoje dziecko, ale zapomnia\u0142a umy\u0107 <\/span>siebie<\/strong><\/em>.<\/em> <\/span>(\u201cShe washed her baby, but she forgot to wash <\/span>herself<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Polish reflexive pronoun \u201csi\u0119\u201d and\u00a0<\/b>actions done to each other\u00a0<\/b>(<\/b>reciprocal reflexivity<\/b>)<\/b><\/h2>\n

      Polish reflexive pronouns are also used to talk about actions that are <\/span>reciprocal<\/b>, that is done by two entities to each other<\/strong>. In English, the usual way to talk about such actions is to simply add <\/span>each other<\/i><\/strong> or <\/span>one another<\/i><\/strong> to the verb, like in the sentence \u201cThese politicians really hate each other<\/strong>.\u201d Here is how you do this in Polish:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Szanujemy <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong>, chocia\u017c <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> nie lubimy. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cWe respect <\/span>each other<\/strong>, though we don\u2019t like <\/span>each other<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Gdzie <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> spotkamy?<\/span><\/i> (\u201cWhere are we going to meet?\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. Tom cz\u0119sto k\u0142\u00f3ci <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> z Juli\u0105.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cTom often argues with Julia.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Example no. 1 contains two classic examples of reciprocity \u2013 both the respect and the dislike are mutual<\/strong>, which is apparent in the grammar of the Polish sentence, as well as its English translation.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Examples no. 2 and 3 are a bit more tricky: while the reciprocity is clearly marked with <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> in Polish, the English verbs \u201cto meet\u201d<\/span> and \u201cto argue\u201d do not really require \u201ceach other\u201d to make sense in this context. However, if you think about it, it is not that hard to see that the actions of <\/span>meeting<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>arguing<\/span><\/i> require the active participation of both parties<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

        As should be evident from the examples, the rule about moving the reflexive pronoun<\/span> before the verb to avoid placing stress on <\/span>si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>still applies. If some emphasis is required in the given context, <\/span>si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>can be replaced with <\/span>siebie<\/i><\/b>, although this happens somewhat less frequently.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Most verbs appearing in reciprocal structures like <\/span>szanowa\u0107 si\u0119 <\/span><\/i>(\u201cto respect each other\u201d) or <\/span>lubi\u0107 si\u0119<\/span><\/i> (\u201cto like each other\u201d) can also be used without <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b>. This kind of non-reciprocal use is actually much more common \u2013 you would often say things like \u201clubi\u0119 Toma\u201d (\u201cI like Tom\u201d) or \u201cszanuj\u0119 tych ludzi\u201d (\u201cI respect these people\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n

        However, <\/span>k\u0142\u00f3ci\u0107 si\u0119 <\/span><\/i>(\u201cto argue\u201d) is very rarely used without <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 and even when it is, its meaning is rather different. Because of this, it is sometimes classified as a figurative reflexive<\/strong>, and not a literal one.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Polish reflexive pronoun \u201csi\u0119\u201d and fixed expressions (<\/b>figurative reflexivity)<\/b><\/h2>\n

        Since Polish loves its reflexive pronouns so much, its speakers often have no other choice but to use <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> in places where it doesn\u2019t really make that much sense. <\/span><\/p>\n

        Well, it might seem a bit weird, but at least it\u2019s not random: there\u2019s a large group of expressions with <\/span>si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>which are entirely fixed. Because of that, <\/span>you have to learn them together with si\u0119<\/i>, as if it was an integral part of the verb<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n

        Here are some examples of <\/span>lexically fixed reflexive verbs<\/b> in context:<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Helen <\/span><\/i>bawi si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> w ogrodzie. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cHelen <\/span>is playing<\/strong> in the garden.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
        2. Czy <\/span><\/i>boisz si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> ciemno\u015bci? <\/span><\/i>(\u201c<\/span>Are you afraid<\/strong> of the dark?\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
        3. Co\u015b <\/span><\/i>si\u0119 ko\u0144czy<\/i><\/strong>, co\u015b <\/span><\/i>si\u0119 zaczyna<\/i><\/strong>.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cSomething <\/span>ends<\/strong>, something <\/span>begins<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
        4. Z czego <\/span><\/i>si\u0119 \u015bmiejesz<\/i><\/strong>? <\/span><\/i>(\u201cWhat <\/span>are you laughing<\/strong><\/span> at?\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n
        5. Nie <\/span><\/i>interesuj\u0119 si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> sztuk\u0105.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cI <\/span>am<\/strong> not <\/span>interested<\/strong> in art.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Bawi\u0107 si\u0119<\/span><\/i> in sentence no. 1 is the Polish equivalent of \u201cto play\u201d in the sense of \u201cto enjoy\u00a0oneself<\/strong>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 this might provide a clue as to why the verb is used together with the reflexive pronoun <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b>. If you were to take away <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b>, you would be left with the transitive verb <\/span>bawi\u0107<\/span><\/i>, which would typically be translated as \u201c<\/span>to entertain\u201d\u00a0<\/span>or \u201c<\/span>to amuse\u201d<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

          On the other hand, removing <\/span>si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>from the reflexive verb <\/span>ba\u0107 si\u0119 <\/span><\/i>(\u201cto be afraid\u201d) in example no. 2 would leave us with <\/span>ba\u0107<\/span><\/i>, which is completely meaningless by itself. <\/span><\/p>\n

          A similar thing can be said about the verb <\/span>\u015bmia\u0107 si\u0119<\/span><\/i>: though <\/span>\u015bmia\u0107 <\/span><\/i>is not entirely meaningless, it is a rarely used verb that could be translated as \u201cto dare\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Sentences no. 3 and 4 show the reversal of word order in action: <\/span>si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>is moved before <\/span>ko\u0144czy\u0107<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>zaczyna\u0107<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>\u015bmia\u0107<\/span><\/i> to avoid being the last word in the clause, which is typically stressed.<\/span><\/p>\n

          However, it must be noted that <\/span>replacing si\u0119<\/i> with siebie<\/i> in a stressed position is not possible in fixed reflexive verbs<\/strong>. Thus, you will never see these verbs used as <\/span>\u015bmia\u0107 siebie<\/span><\/span><\/i>, <\/span>ba\u0107 siebie<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u00a0or <\/span>bawi\u0107 siebie<\/span>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

          The verb <\/span>uczy\u0107<\/span><\/i> si\u0119<\/span><\/i> is a particularly interesting case:<\/span><\/p>\n

          Ucz\u0119 si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> polskiego.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cI <\/span>am learning<\/strong> Polish.)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Ucz\u0119<\/i><\/strong> polskiego.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cI <\/span>am teaching<\/strong> Polish.)<\/span><\/p>\n

          By taking away <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b>, you completely change the meaning of the sentence. This is why any native speaker would consider <\/span>uczy\u0107 si\u0119<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>uczy\u0107<\/span><\/i> to be two completely separate verbs. So it\u2019s not like <\/span>uczy\u0107 si\u0119 <\/span><\/i>is seen as a variant of <\/span>uczy\u0107<\/span><\/i> in which the teaching is done to oneself.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Polish reflexive pronouns and grammatical case<\/b><\/h2>\n

          With all this talk of reflexive verbs, it\u2019s easy to forget that <\/span>si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>is actually a pronoun \u2013 and just like most other Polish pronouns, it has separate forms in several grammatical cases<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

          \"Declension<\/p>\n

          Why are the nominative and vocative forms missing from the table? Simply because they do not exist. Reflexive pronouns cannot act as the subject of the sentence or a form of address, so there\u2019s no need for forms that would fulfill these functions.<\/span><\/p>\n

          The <\/span>accusative <\/b>and <\/span>genitive <\/b>forms are by far the most common ones \u2013 these are the familiar <\/span>si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>and <\/span>siebie <\/i><\/b>forms we\u2019ve been using so far to refer to the object of the sentence. What about the other cases?<\/span><\/p>\n

          The <\/span>dative<\/b> form <\/span>sobie <\/i><\/b>is used to indicate that the recipient (indirect object) of the action is the same as the doer. It\u2019s different from the accusative in that an action expressed with the dative is not really performed on the object, but rather for the object or in relation to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Tom zrobi\u0142 <\/span><\/i>sobie<\/i><\/strong> kanapk\u0119.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cTom made <\/span>himself<\/strong> a sandwich.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Nie ufaj\u0105 <\/span><\/i>sobie<\/i><\/strong>.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cThey don\u2019t trust <\/span>each other<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          The <\/span>instrumental<\/b> form <\/span>sob\u0105 <\/i><\/b>is chiefly used with prepositions such as <\/span>z<\/i><\/strong> (\u201cwith\u201d), <\/span>za<\/i><\/strong> (\u201cbehind\u201d), <\/span>pod <\/i><\/strong>(\u201cunder\u201d), <\/span>nad <\/i><\/strong>(\u201cabove\u201d), and <\/span>przed<\/i><\/strong> (\u201cin front of\u201d \/ \u201cbefore\u201d). You can learn more about prepositions and the way they interact with grammatical cases in the article \u201cEverything you need to know about Polish prepositions\u201d<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Zamkn\u0105\u0142 za <\/span><\/i>sob\u0105<\/i><\/strong> drzwi. <\/span><\/i>(\u201c<\/span>He shut the door behind <\/span>him<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Rozmawiaj\u0105 ze <\/span><\/i>sob\u0105<\/i><\/strong>. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cThey\u2019re talking with <\/span>each other<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          The most common use of the <\/span>locative <\/b>form <\/span>sobie<\/i><\/b> is after prepositions such as <\/span>o<\/i><\/strong> (\u201cabout\u201d), <\/span>w<\/i><\/strong> (\u201cin\u201d), <\/span>po<\/i><\/strong> (\u201cafter\u201d) and <\/span>przy<\/i><\/strong> (\u201cnext to\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n

          My\u015blisz tylko o <\/span><\/i>sobie<\/i><\/strong>. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cYou only think about <\/span>yourself<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Tom i Mary byli w <\/span><\/i>sobie<\/i><\/strong> zakochani. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cTom and Mary were in love with <\/span>each other<\/strong>.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          It is important to remember that <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> in <\/span>reflexive verbs<\/b> such as <\/span>\u015bmia\u0107 si\u0119<\/span><\/i> (\u201cto laugh\u201d) or <\/span>bawi\u0107 si\u0119<\/span><\/i> (\u201cto play\u201d) never changes its grammatical case<\/span> \u2013 it can only appear as the short accusative form <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Other uses of the Polish reflexive pronoun \u201csi\u0119\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

          While the previous sections have covered most common uses of Polish reflexive pronouns, <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> also appears in some very specific structures that might seem just plain weird to an English speaker. Let\u2019s try to make them a little less weird.<\/span><\/p>\n

          First, <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> can be added to almost any verb to create a depersonalized structure \u2013 essentially an action without a specified doer<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Jak <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> to wymawia?<\/span><\/i> (\u201cHow is it pronounced?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Tak <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> nie robi<\/span><\/i>. (\u201cOne just doesn\u2019t do that.\u201d) <\/span><\/p>\n

          Jak <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> tam jedzie? <\/span><\/i>(\u201cHow do you get there [by car]?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          A somehow similar impersonal use of <\/span>si\u0119<\/i><\/b> involves adding it to a verb when talking about an action that happens \u201cby itself\u201d<\/strong>, with nobody to blame for it.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Woda <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> gotuje<\/span><\/i>. (\u201cThe water is boiling.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Pogoda znowu <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> popsu\u0142a. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cThe weather broke again.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Robi <\/span><\/i>si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> ciemno<\/span><\/i>. (\u201cIt\u2019s getting dark.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          (Quite useful when you\u2019re trying to worm your way out of a slippery situation. By saying \u201czupa si\u0119 wyla\u0142a\u201d you can claim that the soup \u201c<\/span>spilled itself\u201d and get away with it<\/span>.)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Then, there is the popular structure <\/span>da si\u0119<\/i><\/strong>, which is usually translated as \u201cis possible\u201d:<\/span><\/p>\n

          Da si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> to naprawi\u0107? <\/span><\/i>(\u201cIs it possible to fix it?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Tego meczu nie <\/span><\/i>da\u0142o si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> wygra\u0107. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cIt was impossible to win this match.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Nie <\/span><\/i>da si\u0119<\/i><\/strong> tego opisa\u0107 s\u0142owami. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cWords cannot even begin to describe it.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Most common Polish reflexive verbs<\/b><\/h2>\n

          To finish up, here\u2019s a list of 15 common reflexive verbs which did not appear in the previous sections, but are still very useful to know:<\/span><\/p>\n

          nazywa\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto be named\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Nazywam si\u0119 Jan Kowalski.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cMy name is Jan Kowalski.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          podoba\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto like\u201d (used with the dative; comparable to \u201cappeal to sb\u201d in English)<\/span><\/p>\n

          Jak ci si\u0119 podoba Japonia? <\/span><\/i>(\u201cHow do you like Japan?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          dzia\u0107 si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>\u2013 <\/span><\/i>\u201cto happen\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Co tu si\u0119 dzieje?<\/span><\/i> (\u201cWhat is happening here?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          wydawa\u0107 si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>\u2013 <\/span><\/i>\u201cto seem\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Wydawa\u0142 si\u0119 by\u0107 dobrym cz\u0142owiekiem. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cHe seemed to be a good person.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          modli\u0107 si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>\u2013 \u201cto pray\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Jak cz\u0119sto si\u0119 modlisz?<\/span><\/i> (\u201cHow often do you pray?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          stawa\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto become\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Z wiekiem sta\u0142 si\u0119 s\u0142abszy. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cHe has become weaker with age.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          zgadza\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto agree\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Nie mog\u0119 si\u0119 z tob\u0105 zgodzi\u0107.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cI can\u2019t agree with you.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          sp\u00f3\u017ania\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto be late\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Tom rzadko si\u0119 sp\u00f3\u017ania.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cTom is seldom late.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          opiekowa\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto look after\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Opiekowa\u0142a si\u0119 pacjentem. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cShe looked after the patient.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          napi\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto drink\u201d \/ \u201cto have a drink\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Chcia\u0142by\u015b si\u0119 czego\u015b napi\u0107? <\/span><\/i>(\u201cWould you like to drink something?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          martwi\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto worry\u201d \/ \u201cto be worried\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Bardzo si\u0119 o ciebie martwimy. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cWe\u2019re very worried about you.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          nudzi\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto be bored\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Nasz syn znowu si\u0119 nudzi. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cOur son is bored again.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          budzi\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto wake up\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          O kt\u00f3rej zwykle si\u0119 budzisz? <\/span><\/i>(\u201cWhat time do you usually wake up?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          pojawia\u0107 si\u0119 <\/i><\/b>\u2013 \u201cto appear\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Na horyzoncie pojawi\u0142 si\u0119 dym.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cSmoke appeared on the horizon.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          waha\u0107 si\u0119<\/i><\/b> \u2013 \u201cto hesitate\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          Przez chwil\u0119 si\u0119 waha\u0142a<\/span><\/i>. (\u201cShe hesitated for a moment.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

          The Polish Pronouns Grammar Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n

          Since Polish reflexive pronouns are used to express so many different things, you cannot expect to learn them all by memorizing a list of rules. The most effective way to master them is to keep using them in real contexts until it all sinks in.<\/p>\n

          Take up the Polish Pronouns Grammar Challenge<\/a> and start learning by filling in clozes in actual Polish sentences.<\/strong><\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          The way reflexive pronouns work in Polish might not seem too intuitive to an English speaker. After all, English reflexive pronouns \u2013 words like oneself, himself, yourselves etc. \u2013 are only used in very specific contexts. On a basic level, reflexive pronouns are used to signal that the object of a clause is the same …<\/p>\n

          The Beginner\u2019s Guide to Polish Reflexive Pronouns and Verbs<\/span>Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,573],"tags":[603],"class_list":["post-386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-learn-polish","category-polish-grammar","tag-polish-pronouns"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Beginner\u2019s Guide to Polish Reflexive Pronouns and Verbs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Polish reflexive pronouns and verbs can be used in a number of ways, each with its own rules and exceptions. 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